They are a combination of a Fairmont
S Series Chassis, and an auto motor driving through a gearbox
otherwise used for an MT19 type car, with a chain final
drive.

The records suggest that 42 units of
the STT series were built and 5 of the STE series were assembled. The
difference denoted by the T and the E were the motors. There is some suggestion that a sixth car was built.

All were powered by a small four
cylinder engine. The "T" indicated a "Torana" engine (the Torana was
a Holden/General Motors product, based on the Vauxhall Viva motor) and the "E" an Escort engine (that
being built by rival Ford).

It appears most, if not all, were
owned by the Commonwealth Railways, working on the narrow gauge
Central Australia Railway between Marree and Alice Springs. A few
came south when that line closed, ending their days at Port Augusta,
and a few on the Eyre Peninsula. Those remaining are believed to be all privately owned.

The largest group appears to be owned
by the Ghan Preservation Society in Alice Springs, as is the car in
the photo.

Some will note that there are
pictures of some of these carrying the "N" code as part of their
number, and others, including other types of cars, were classed with
a "CC".

CR generally did not allocate an
alpha code to its standard gauge cars, but noted its narrow gauge
units as "NXXX". Some older stock was reallocated a "CC" number as it
was being rebuilt, "CC" believed to be a shortening of "CCE" or
"Chief Civil Engineer"!. The use of "CC" was carried over into the
practice of Australian National.

Some SAR cars were also re-coded with
the "CC" including some Fairmont cars, as they were outshopped in the
heyday of Australian National.
Section Car Page